Kissinger left complex foreign policy legacy
December 21st, 20230 Possibly no one had more influence on American foreign policy in the late 20th century than Henry Kissinger, who died last month at age 100. In his long and active career, he advised presidents, carried out policies and initiatives and was a highly visible figure around the world. While it’s early to pronounce judgment on his...Urinating on prisoners: Why humiliation is functional in Israel’s war on Palestinians
December 20th, 20230 When Zionist militias, using advanced Western arms, conquered historic Palestine in 1947-48, they expressed their victory through the deliberate humiliation of Palestinians. Much of that humiliation targeted women, in particular, knowing how the dishonor of Palestinian females represents, according to Arab culture, a sense of dishonor...Ours is an indigenous struggle: How Gaza united the world
November 24th, 20230 By Ramzy Baroud and Romana Rubeo For decades, the struggle for national liberation in Palestine was rightly understood to be part and parcel of a global struggle for liberation, mainly in the Global South. And since national liberation movements were, per definition, the struggle for indigenous people to assert their collective...The Strip is already occupied: The two Gazas that Israel cannot break
November 16th, 20230 The ongoing discussions on the Israeli military objectives in Gaza are largely focused on whether Israel is planning a long or a short-term military reoccupation of the Strip. Israelis themselves are fueling this conversation, with 41 percent of Israelis wanting to leave Gaza following the war and another 44 percent wanting the Gaza...Time to listen: What is Gaza telling us about Palestinian priorities
November 2nd, 20230 Gaza has changed the political equation in Palestine. Moreover, the repercussions of this devastating war are likely to alter the political equation in the entire Middle East and to re-center Palestine as the world’s most urgent political crisis for years to come. Since the establishment of Israel, facilitated by Britain and...The Gaza manifesto: Why America’s old Middle East is crumbling
November 1st, 20230 History will not forgive those who have remained silent, exhibited or expressed “balanced” positions — or worse, defended Israel’s ongoing genocide in an already besieged, impoverished and overcrowded Gaza. This is not a cliché declaration, a desperate attempt aimed at jolting the world, especially the Western world, to show...Jewish American activists hold sit-in in the U.S. Capitol, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
October 20th, 20230 WASHINGTON D.C. — Jewish American activists held a sit-in in the U.S. Capitol to call for a ceasefire amidst ongoing violence in Gaza on Wednesday, October 18. The group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has organized this sit-in demanding U.S. lawmakers step in and stipulate a ceasefire from an already-drafted resolution. To display...Dearborn residents march in protest of the genocide against Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces
October 20th, 20230 Protesters in Dearborn condemn Israeli bombing of the Baptist Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip, killing more than 500 DEARBORN — As the brutal Israeli attack on Palestinians in Gaza continues, thousands walked on Wednesday in Dearborn in an effort to spread love, support and rally in support of Gazans and for a free...A day to remember: How the “Al-Quds Flood” altered the relationship between Palestine and Israel forever
October 11th, 20231 Regardless of the precise strategy of the Palestinian group Hamas, or any other Palestinian movement for that matter, the daring Palestinian military campaign, deep inside Israel, on Saturday, October 7, was only possible because Palestinians are simply fed up. 17 years ago, Israel imposed a hermetic siege on the Gaza Strip. The...Biden administration must fix reentry harassment of Muslims
October 11th, 20230 Harassment of American Muslims while flying has been a persistent problem since the expansion of the national security apparatus post 9/11. Racial and religious profiling by federal agents at airports to citizens being placed on watchlists without any means of due process are ongoing civil rights challenges for our community. Despite Mr....The Gaza war is lost: But will Netanyahu concede?
October 11th, 20232 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had often boasted about the readiness of his army to deal with, and to eliminate all threats to Israel's “security.” The Israeli military, too, has contributed to the Israeli hasbara that Tel Aviv would be able to face several threats at all fronts, from Gaza, to the West Bank, to Lebanon...Ghosts of the past: For Israel, war on UNESCO is an existential battle
September 28th, 20230 Jericho does not belong to the Palestinians alone. It belongs to the whole of humanity. For Israel, however, the recognition by UNESCO of Jericho as a “World Heritage Site in Palestine” complicates its mission of erasing Palestine, physically and figuratively, from existence. The decision was described by Israel’s foreign...“Greatest nation” debates aren’t helpful
September 27th, 20230 Is the United States the greatest nation in the world? It’s a natural question to ask, given our penchant for displays of patriotism and our debates about American exceptionalism. But I don’t much like the question. Talking about how American greatness isn’t a very helpful exercise. It doesn’t do anything to make our country......
Humiliation vs. self-respect: The untold story of the abuse of Palestinian women in Hebron
September 13th, 20230 The humiliation of Palestinian women by Israeli soldiers in the occupied city of Al-Khalil (Hebron) on July 10 was not the first such episode. Sadly, it will not be the last. Indeed, the stripping of five women in front of their children, parading them naked around their family home and then stealing their jewelry by an Israeli...When the torturer is the “savior”: Can BRICS, Global South help us escape the West’s hegemony, contradictions?
September 8th, 20230 By Ramzy Baroud and Romana Rubeo At the zenith of the mass protests in Egypt on January 25, 2011, Twitter, Facebook and other Western-based social media platforms appeared to be the most essential tools for the Egyptian Revolution. Though some observers later contested the use of the terms "Twitter Revolution" or "Social Media......
Friend or foe? Russia’s West Jerusalem consulate is very worrying
August 23rd, 20230 Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, a global cold war has also kicked in. As a strong ally of Washington and the home of a massive constituency of Russian, Ukrainian and East European Jews, it was only natural that Tel Aviv would be at the heart of the global conflict. When the war began, Israel was then ruled by an odd...Opinion: Faith in democracy is vital
August 18th, 20230 Americans are pessimistic about our democracy, according to a recent poll. It’s a worrisome finding. Of course, it’s easy to watch the news and conclude our government isn’t working. But we must not get to the point where we think we can’t solve our problems in a democratic fashion. That’s a danger line. The poll, by The...Palestinians welcome China’s new Middle East role, but it is not mediation they need
August 16th, 20230 It is feasible for China to continue playing an important role in mediating Middle East conflicts. In fact, it already has. In the case of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, however, mediation is hardly the issue. Even before Beijing successfully managed to achieve reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran last April, Chinese...Opinion: The American Immigration Council and the economic impact of refugees in America
August 10th, 20230 By Tariq Fanek New research from the American Immigration Council on the impact of refugees on the U.S. economy suggests that opening America’s doors to those fleeing conflict and persecution is not only the right thing to do, it is good for the economy and our nation’s population and talent crises. The June 2023 report builds on a......
Balancing act is over: Israeli protests are not about democracy, but ideology
August 2nd, 20230 The late Israeli commentator Uri Avnery wrote, “I am increasingly worried that the Israeli-Palestinian struggle… is assuming a more and more religious character.” At first glance, the statement may seem baffling. If Israel is a “Jewish State” that serves as a “homeland” for all Jewish people, everywhere, does it not...U.S. and Israel: Is the “unbreakable Bond” finally breaking?
July 26th, 20230 Israeli President Isaac Herzog added nothing of great value in his speech at the United States Congress on July 19. His was the typical language. He spoke of a “sacred bond”, touted the shared experience between both nations as “unique in scope and quality”, and celebrated the great, common “values that reach across......
For Arab Americans, blue is not blue
July 25th, 20230 News last week that the U.S. and Israel were about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) advancing Israel’s entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) shouldn’t have caught us by surprise. But it did. For months, we had been assured by various Biden administration officials that Israel could not meet the requirements of the...The war to save Mahmoud Abbas: Is Netanyahu pushing for Palestinian civil conflict?
July 19th, 20230 This is the perfect opportunity for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to exit the stage. But he will not. Abbas’ brief visit to the devastated Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank on July 12 demonstrated the absurdity and danger of the PA and its 87-year-old leader. As he walked, Abbas struggled to......